How Social Media Services Benefit Small Business

There is no denying that social media has become an integral part of our lives and our days are incomplete without these sites. From kids to adults, it is used and accessed by every individual to fulfil the necessity of daily lives. The data suggests that the number of people using social media is around 4.2 billion, and the average time spent by internet users on social media is around 147 minutes per day. That’s indeed a huge number!

There was a time when it used to be a great source of entertainment and boredom killer but gone are the days when social media is only confined to scrolling videos and reading memes. It has always been a fancy word, but now people know how to utilise it optimally and generate income from it. Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube are common platforms that will help you earn a handsome amount.

What is Social Media Management?

As the name suggests, social media management is having an online presence of your business on all the platforms to help it reach globally among people. Social media managers consistently publish content, engage the viewers, use the tools and services, and analyse the content enjoyed by the users the most. It not only keeps their virtual presence alive but also helps the company build a community that can be their potential customers in the future. A Social Media Manager is a skilled professional with expertise in analysing, handling, and generating income from your social media account.

Well, we are not claiming that all the companies do have their social media presence, but we can stand by it that the ones who’ve been there and engaged with the audience consistently are definitely at a stroke of luck. Every newly established company tries to have its presence virtually because it’s nothing harmful but a boom. Let’s shed light on the importance of social media management for small businesses.

Benefits of Social Media Management for Small Businesses

1. Increases brand awareness

A presence on social media platforms creates awareness among users. What if you bump into a fantastic clothing brand while scrolling Instagram or find the shoes you’ve been eyeing at a cheaper rate? The name of that brand will stick in your mind, and that’s how they will gain a loyal customer. Data from Meta reveals that 83% of Instagram users have discovered brands while scrolling Instagram, and they further share it with their friends leading to more brand awareness. 

2. Increases customer reach

Connoting brand awareness, a brand is recognised when it reaches a maximum number of people. Presence on social media not only helps people to have an eye on the brands but also help them shop from such small businesses and become their loyal customers. Even if you don’t have a physical store, having an active page on multiple social media platforms can help you gain a good number of customers. 

3. A way to communicate to your audience

Connecting and communicating are the two most important aspects of Social Media. If your customer has to give feedback on the product he just received, dropping a message on your Instagram account would be the easiest lookout for him. It has become a bridge that gaps the space of communication between your business and your customer. 

4. Help you to know your customers better.

In case you don’t know, Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram help you aggregate the data and help you conclude your target customers. They will analyse the kind of customers reaching out to your page, which product is the most viewed and liked by customers, and which product has the most demand. Thus, social media helps you track your customers’ needs and preferences better.

5. A medium to engage traffic

Almost all businesses have their website because it is the primary medium to have customers in your kitty. Having your company’s website is as crucial as having a camera for a photographer. What if you can promote this website’s link on different social media platforms? This will definitely help you boost the reach of your website and engage maximum traffic, leading to a base of genuine customers. 

What are some social media trends for your small business? 

1. Personalise Content

Name a person who’s on social media and doesn’t look for quality content. None, I’d say. People operate social media to showcase their life and consume the content generated by their social community, influencers, and small businesses. If you don’t have interesting content to offer your audience, it’s you who’s at a loss! 

The content should be consistent and resonate with your profile. Make sure to add logos, consult graphic designers and content writers, and make it quirky because that’s all today’s audience seeks. Generating monotonous content just for the sake of it and just because everyone’s doing it would take your business nowhere. It’s the platform to pour what you have through your creative side, so make it fun and interesting for people to consume.

2. Influencer Marketing

For those who don’t know, Influencer Marketing is the process of promoting your products or services through influencers. It has become a common practice amongst small businesses. Companies Like Mama earth had a lot to do with influencer marketing because the fan base of influencers is the most loyal. Small businesses find it more convenient to promote their products through local influencers because they will cost less as compared to big celebrities, and they have a niche audience.

3. Video Content

When it comes to favouring content, the audience generally loves to binge content that is in video format. It is the human tendency that anything which is in video format remains in our mind longer than as compared to reading format. Creating videos is a great idea to make the customer stop at your profile, watch the video, explore your page, and therefore leading to driving more customers to your business. Instagram is popularly known for making 15-second videos, called “reels”, and small businesses have been clearly taking advantage of it. The video can range from 15 seconds to 2-minutes, but what matters the most is whether you’re able to convey the information to your audience or not!

3. A Platform for Customer Service

Coming to Instagram and dropping a query in the comment section about the watch you’re planning to purchase through that social commerce. Sounds easy to do? It is as easy to do as it sounds. Social Media has become a medium to raise queries because it is convenient to use. If you’ve purchased the product through social commerce and it has some defect, you don’t have to follow long grievance procedures, just message the page, and the problem is resolved.  

4. Location-Based Marketing

Location-based marketing is the new method of attracting customers by keeping your focus on the area or town you’re residing. Small businesses can cultivate more customers by using relevant geo-tags and choosing locations for their social media ads to be shown. Being active within your area helps you build awareness of that brand and attract an audience from the same locality. It is important to attract customers through location-based marketing because these are the people who are from the same locality, and thus it can be easy to get the product to deliver at the earliest.

5. Social Listening

Social listening is the way to track mentions and conversations about your brand that are going on social media platforms. It is important because you get an insight into what people think about your business. Once you’re done with it, your work doesn’t stop here; now, you’ve to gather all the information you’ve got through social listening, analyse the opportunities, work on your weaknesses, and identify your threats.

6. Live Streaming

Coming live on social media and interacting with your followers is one of the most engaging trends to help you build a community of loyal customers. Live-streaming once in a while is essential because it’s a one-on-one conversation that you’ve with your customers and followers, and it makes you understand them better. It is not only beneficial for you as a business but also provides a sense of satisfaction to the customers as they make them feel valuable.

Why should my small business invest in Social Media Management Services?

1. Global Reach

One of the reasons you should invest in social media management services is that you can reach your audience across borders. You don’t need a physical store in every city, and customers don’t have to travel to shop for your products. Build your page, and post the products through images, reels, videos, and customers can buy their favourite product through one click, sitting miles across. Brick-and-mortar businesses don’t have this advantage because people can’t shop from being in a different city, but social commerce helps you reach people whether they’re in a different city or the same. 

2. Collaborations and Paid Advertisements

Having a full-fledged page on social media platforms can help you gain followers. If you have a good number of followers, many companies must be eyeing you to promote their products through your page because you already have a loyal customer base. Companies also seek collaborations where they won’t pay you, but you both can work together collectively to form a double customer base. Suppose you have a food venture and you sell delicious burgers, and you are approached by a beverage company whose best seller is cold coffee. Now, you both can collaborate because your target audience is the same, and this collaboration can increase your customer base and reach. 

3. Customer Relationships

Apart from the monetary benefits that social media management provides, one of the advantages that businesses can feel is the kind of relationship you nurture gradually with your customers. Customers appreciating your products and services by directly messaging you or dropping how they liked the product in the comments is a day changer for the business runners. It makes them feel encouraged and motivated. Communicating through social media is a win-win for both parties because customers do feel that their words matter, their feedback matters, and when they’re heard what they feel, they will definitely come back to you to shop.

4. Brand Building

You can build a company and make a profit but not necessarily make a brand. Branding requires the trust and faith of customers in your products, and that comes when you have a genuine, loyal customer base. Brands like BoAt have achieved success through their consistent social media presence, making them the best Earwear Audio brand in India. You need to generate quality content that shows your expertise in that business and, thus, build a sense of trust amongst customers of your brand.

Ending the note here, every small business should invest in social media management because it is the best way to build a community of customers. One can easily build a reputation in the market by having a good number of followers on social media because it provides global reach. Paid partnerships are another way of generating income, which can be a source of income for many companies. 

Final Verdict

A few of the king things that can be derived from this article are:

1. It is as important to invest in social media management as any company would invest in a competent workforce.
2. It’s the era where everything is digitalised, and thus customers will find a way to reach you through social media. So, make sure to have a social media manager who would be in active touch with the customers. 
3. Using relevant hashtags is essential to increase reach.
4. Social Media is a platform where you get feedback from customers through live streaming, comments, and DMs, so it’s important to consider this feedback and work on these suggestions.

Team EMB

Our team of expert writers is committed to bringing insights on topics ranging in the fields of technology, marketing, and business. With a wide-reaching range of services on our platform, we help businesses achieve digital transformation end-to-end.